Playing Tourist, one more time

The weather has cooled significantly since we were last here at the beginning of March. It genuinely feels like Fall around here - high temps in the low 70s, evening lows in the lower 60s and much lower humidity. I noticed today, while walking around, the sky is actually blue, not the typical clear gray we saw all "summer" in January and February. It is very green and flowery, but then again, it never freezes here either.

Friday night after we finished work, we headed back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes and were destined for the All Black Irish Pub - a place recommended to us several times in our trips down here. We knew the place was relatively close - we had seen it from cab rides a couple of times. Well, it was Friday night, and Sao Paulo is notorious for horrific traffic on Friday nights. Oh my - it took us almost 90 minutes to get there, compared to about 15 minutes for the return ride. But it was a happening place - the food was good (for bar food) and the beer was dang cold. Glad we went.



Of all the fun things we have done here, never disappointed, we finally went "bust" yesterday. We went to what was reported to be another local artisan craft-type fair (Benedito Calixto Praça) and it turned out to be just a giant flea market with the typical junk for sale. I did find an awesome pair of sunglasses, but the price was too steep. I modeled them - see the photo link later in this entry.



We wondered around for awhile, looked at their food court and decided to try our luck at one of the sidewalk cafes in the surrounding area. After looking at several, we happened upon a nice Italian place that had all fresh made pasta and were delighted with the food. Our waiter was learning English, so we made no mistakes with the food order - no surprises like we have had a time or two. It was a cool, multi-level place with trees growing inside. Very nice atmosphere...



Our bellies full, it was time to head back to the hotel for some rest & reading. I called my kids to check in, finished the book I was reading and called it a day.

Today, I got up early and hit the gym. Our little group was going to make a long walk in the park - the one where we have been many times for early morning runs. The Ibirapuera Park here in Sao Paulo is such a beautiful place, and on Sundays, is great for people watching. We spent a couple of hours wondering around and found the Japanese gardens within the park. This was a nice area to look around, lots of interesting flora, and the koi pond was nicely stocked.



I took some photos of a couple of neighborhood eating spots we have tried - they are in the photo album.

Tonight we walked about a mile to have dinner at a bar spot we had seen before. The soccer playoffs are under way and a game was in progress as we walked. The streets were deserted, a rare feat for this city. The local team scored as we walked and it was impressive to hear all the yelling coming from the buildings as well as the mid-afternoon fireworks going off. When we arrived at our destination, the place was a sea of people, frantic about the game in progress. Reminded me of the US during a Super Bowl.

This seems like it may be my last trip to Brazil for this gig. I am looking forward to my Colorado summer motorcycle adventures, time home with my awesome boys (ahhem, the "men of my life") and so forth, but I would trade about anything for the opportunity to travel here. If you ever get the chance, do not pass this place. I will come again in a heart beat.



Here is the link to the start spot for the new shots... CLICK spot

Heading back down South

This afternoon, our little team returns to Brazil for a couple of weeks. It will be beginning Fall down there, so maybe it won't be as hot as it was when we left 100 degree weather at the end of February.

During the break from travel, I completed the build of my cyclocross bike. This has been a work in progress for about a year and it was fun to take it on its maiden voyage yesterday. It is a sweet bike, for sure. Glad I got to ride it once before departing, which was doubtful for a while, since we got a couple of feet of snow a few days ago. But, as has become the norm, as soon as I leave Colorado, the weather always turns delightful. Surely with the coming of Spring in Colorado, that trend won't continue and I will get long days to enjoy my bikes and motorcycles.

Stay tuned this weekend to see where our adventures may lead.